TIMES REPORT
ISLAMABAD: Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kundi on Tuesday urged the federal authorities to improve air connectivity across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by restoring flights to key cities.
Addressing a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Defence, chaired by Senator Muhammad Talha Mahmood, the Governor said he had brought the province’s case before the committee, stressing that several major cities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remained disconnected by air.
He said improved air connectivity would boost tourism, trade and economic activities across the province, and called for the immediate launch of flights to Chitral, Parachinar and Dera Ismail Khan.
Governor Kundi informed the committee that South Air had recently launched Peshawar-Quetta flights, while the business community was also demanding direct air links between Peshawar and Lahore.
Highlighting the condition of DI Khan Airport, he said it should be made operational without delay, adding that its existing runway was unsuitable even for ATR aircraft. He recalled that before the events of 9/11, as many as 22 weekly flights operated to and from DI Khan.
The Governor said the Greenfield International Airport under construction in DI Khan was located near the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) route and could, in the future, also serve as an alternative to Peshawar Airport.
He urged the authorities to accelerate work on the Greenfield International Airport to strengthen air connectivity for the southern districts and the entire province.
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